Load lowering device



g- 9,1965 J. M. DELANEY LOAD LOWERING DEVICE Filed April 22, 1964 I .IIINIVENTQOIR.

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' IJYTZORNEI? United States Patent 3,265,358 LOAD LOWERING DEVICE John M. Delaney, 9571 E. Outer Drive, Detroit, Mich. Filed Apr. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 361,709 1 Claim. (Cl. 254-158) This invention relates generally to devices for regulating the rate of descent of a load and particularly to hydraulic devices for lowering a load at a desired fixed rate of descent.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved device for restraining the rate of descent of a load to a desired safe rate of descent.

Another object of the invention is to provide .a device of the above mentioned character which is particularly adapted for use as a safe escape means from a burning building.

A specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a hydraulic braking system in association with a pulley shaft to determine the rate of rotation of the pulley.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following detail description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of my device;

FIG. 2 is another view partly in elevation and partly in section of the device and taken alongthe line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view, partly broken away.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, the device includes a pair of integral pulleys .and 12 which are keyed or otherwise aifixed onto a rotatable shaft 14. A bracket or hanger 16 has depending legs 18 and 20 with aligning holes near their lower ends to receive the shaft 14. The hub of the pair of integral pulleys 10 and 12 is connected to the shaft by a key 22. Adjacent its upper end, the hanger 16 is provided with an aperture 24 for the purpose of mounting the hanger on a hook or other support provided on a building structure.

The shaft 14 projects beyond the hanger leg '18 into a body 26 of a pump and surrounding the shaft within the body there is a sealing and locking ring 28. Eccentric with respect to the axis of shaft 14, the body 26 has a bore-like recess 30 in its outer face which is closed by a cover plate 32. The cover plate 32 may be secured to the body 26 by screws 34, and between the plate and body, a displaceable sealing ring 36 is provided.

Rotatably mounted within the body recess 30 there is a driven pump member 38, the outer cylindrical periphery of which fits snugly within the bore-like recess. The inner periphery of the pump member 38 is uniformly contoured to provide angularly spaced extended portions 40 and alternate rounded recesses in the general configuration of gear teeth and aflixed to the shaft 14 there is a driving pump member 42. The periphery of the driving member 42 has a contour corresponding to the inner contour of the driven pump member to efiect a meshing relationship therewith, as shown in FIG. 2. It will also be seen by reference to FIG. 2 that the eccentric relationship between the axis of rotation of the driven pump member 38 and the driving pump member 42 provides for the movement of .a fluid, such as oil for example,

Patented August 9, 1966 in the direction of rotation. The pump members 38 and 42 or the space therebetween is in communication with a pair of recessed chambers 44 and 46 which are separated by a web 48 and are generally arcuate in contour, as seen in FIG. 3. Connected to the \arcuate chambers 44 and 46 is an upper chamber or reservoir 50 for oil, the chambers 44 and 46 being respectively connected to chamber '50 by vertical passages or bores 52 and 54. As shown in FIG. 3, the passages 52 and 54 have ports 56 and 58 respectively into which extend adjustable'flow regulating valve members 60 and 62. The stems of the valve members 60 and 62 are adjustably screwthreaded into a top cover plate 64 for chamber 50 and the join-t between the cover and the pump body is sealed by a gasket 66.

Wound about the pulley 10 in one direction there is a rope 68 and wound about the other pulley 12 in the opposite direction there is another rope 70. A load or a person may be lowered from a high point, such as from an upper story of a building by means of one of the two ropes 68 and 70 which may have a sling or net attached thereto for convenience. The weight of the load or person will cause the pulleys to rotate in a direction to unwind the rope and lower the load or person at a safe predetermined rate of descent by reason of the hydraulic restricting force opposing rotation of the pulleys. Rotation of the pulleys 68 and 70 rotates the shaft and the driving pump member 42 which in turn rotates the driven pump member 38. Assuming that the driven pump member 38 is being rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, it will be seen that the liquid in the closed circulatory system will be forced to how about its circulatory path in the direction of rotation of the driven pump member. For example, liquid will flow from the reservoir 50, through the restricted flow port 58, down passage 54 into chamber 44 and then between the pump members 38 and 42, and then up the passage 52 and back to the reservoir 50 through the How restricting port 56. The flow restricting ports 56 and 58 determine the rate of descent of the load or person. When the load or person has reached the ground on rope 68, the other rope 70 may be used to lower another load or person. The use of the rope 70 causes the pulleys to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, facing FIG. 4, for the reason that the rope 70 is wound on its pulley 12in the opposite direction to the winding of rope 68 on its pulley 10. This counterclockwise r-otation of the pulleys causes the liquid in the closed circulatory system to flow in a corresponding direction retarded, .as before, by the restricted ports 58 and 60 which determine the rate of descent of the load or person. At the same time that the second load or person is descending on rope 70, the rope 68 is being rewound for use in the lowering of the next load or person.

While I have shown and described my load lowering device in considerable detail, it will be understood that many variations and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A brake comprising a body, a first rotatable pump member within said body having an inner sinuous periphery around the axis of said member, a second rotatable pump member within said first rotatable member and having its axis or rotation eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of said first pump member, said second pump member having a sinuous outer periphery cooperable with the sinuous inner periphery of said first pump member to effeet a pumping action, a Wheel driven shaft extending into said body and connected to drive said second pump a member, means within said body defining liquid inlet and outlet chambers in communication with said .pump members, a liquid reservoir within said body in communication with said inlet and outlet chambers and with said pump members providing a closed liquid circulatory system, and a valve member controlling the rate of flow of the liquid through said system to effect a braking operation on said shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner. V

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

H. C. HOR-NSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

